A Florida teenager has withdrawn a lawsuit claiming that meth addiction and the use of platforms like Instagram caused him harm.
The 15-year-old plaintiff, identified as RKC, recently settled similar cases against TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. All these platforms are implicated in a significant lawsuit alleging they create addictive environments detrimental to children’s health.
RKC’s case was set for a jury trial in Los Angeles next week, amidst proceedings where Meta and YouTube have already faced unfavorable judgments.
A Meta spokesperson stated to the BBC: “The allegations were never validated, and this outcome reaffirms our commitment to defend against unfounded claims.”
The lawyer representing the boy did not provide a response to inquiries. According to the spokesperson for Meta, RKC received no financial compensation upon dropping the lawsuit.
RKC argued that features common in social media, like infinite scrolling and autoplay, foster compulsive usage and lead to addiction. He claimed this excessive use results in issues such as anxiety and sleep deprivation.
Meta and YouTube faced similar allegations from another young woman in an earlier case.
In that trial, a jury held them accountable for negatively impacting her mental well-being, awarding her $6 million (£4.4 million) in damages.
This verdict marked a precedent, as it was the first instance of a social media platform being held liable for its effects on users.
Both companies are currently appealing this ruling.
The Los Angeles Superior Court is managing numerous lawsuits against social media firms, alleging similar addiction-related harms. A limited number of these cases have proceeded to trial.
The next trial round is set to commence in October, as per court documents.
Thousands of lawsuits across the United States have accused Meta and other leading social media platforms of endangering young users.
In May, Meta settled with a school district for an undisclosed amount after the district claimed that social media adversely affected students, which forced the school to shoulder student welfare expenses. The district sought $60 million in damages.
This settlement followed a New Mexico judge’s ruling that ordered Meta to pay $375 million for misleading users about the safety of its children’s platform.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk